The Spice Girls plan to give more formal interviews according to
their new PR advisers, the Outside Organisation.
Alan Edwards, founder of Outside, was approached by Virgin Records last
week to take on the pop group’s media relations following the departure
of manager Simon Fuller.
Two weeks ago The Spice Girls ended their association with Life PR and
its partner Julian Henry (PR Week, 14 November), who had previously
handled the work through Fuller.
The group has attracted criticism in the last two weeks and was booed at
an awards ceremony in Spain last week. Judy Lipsey, director at Outside,
said that the agency’s appointment was not a damage limitation
exercise.
’They will talk to a broader media audience, on a one-on-one level,’ she
said. She cited a ’more analytical’ article in the Guardian last
Saturday as an example of the kind of coverage the group would like to
attract.
Edwards told PR Week that now was not the time for spectacular and
extraordinary schemes, but a time for reflection. ’The complaint I’ve
heard from a lot of newspapers is that they’ve had problems getting
basic information,’ he said. ’We want to try and operate openly and give
straight answers.’
Outside was formed after the closure of Poole Edwards in July. Its
clients including David Bowie, Janet Jackson, INXS and The Cure.
